Meet Joanna Smith — the Simcoe guard chasing hoop dreams at Mohawk

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Meet Joanna Smith. She's 22, from Simcoe, and she plays shooting guard and small forward for the Mohawk College women's basketball team. Joanna picked up a basketball after finding gymnastics too tame, and she hasn't put it down since grade 2. This past season was her best yet: an OCAA bronze medal, a spot on the OCAA West Division second all-star team, and academic honours to match. She's also managing type 1 diabetes every step of the way. Here's her story in her own words.

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Her Story

Joanna's basketball story started almost by accident. She began in gymnastics, but found it boring, and every Saturday she and her family went to watch her older brother play ball instead. By grade 2, she'd made the switch herself, and she's been playing ever since.

This past season was the best of her career. Joanna and her Mohawk College teammates put together an incredible run, finishing third in the OCAA and bringing home a medal. She also earned a spot on the OCAA West Division second all-star team, along with OCAA All-Academic, CCAA All-Canadian Academic, and CCAA National Scholar honours, recognition for excelling in the classroom and on the court at the same time.

Joanna credits four coaches with shaping who she is as a player and a person. Her dad coached her from the time she started playing through grade 12, and still breaks down games with her today. Chris Dangela, her rep coach through high school, helped rebuild her game and her confidence during COVID, running extra skill sessions that changed how she played. Mr. Flynn, her high school coach, showed up early mornings and stayed late to get shots up with her, and still comes out to watch her college games. And her current coach, Mihai Raducanu, has pushed her further than anyone. "He's family, he's a friend, he's a mentor," Joanna says. "The standards he has for us, the way he coaches us, everything he does makes an impact."

What's Next

Joanna has two more years of college basketball left, and she's not done chasing bigger goals. She's considering a run at playing professionally overseas once she wraps up at Mohawk, though she knows there's more work to put in first.

Off the court, Joanna is studying early childhood education and plans to work in a daycare. Her long term goal is bigger still: she wants to open her own gym with a daycare attached, a place where parents, especially those homeschooling or with young kids, can drop their child off and get a workout in without a barrier standing in the way.

Who She's Thanking

Joanna's biggest supporter is her mom, who rarely misses a game and always finds a way to watch, whether it's live or by video. Her mom has also been essential in helping Joanna manage life as an athlete with type 1 diabetes, researching and staying on top of everything so Joanna can keep performing at her best.

Joanna is also thanking her dad, her coaches Chris Dangela, Mr. Flynn, and Mihai Raducanu, and her whole family for showing up, online or in person, at every game. A special shoutout goes to her best friends, Sophia and Libbey, for their support along the way.

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